Secrets Fort
by Rydia Asuka
Summary: While working on completing their secret fort, Richard and Sophie discuss Richard's feelings for Asbel. Turns out the meaning of love isn't as simple as Sophie had once thought.


_Came across a prompt on tumblr asking for...well, this; Sophie and Richard discussing Richard's (unrequited) feelings for Asbel. This is what came of it. Also, I'm sorry if Sophie seems a bit too childish in parts. I'm actually pretty new to writing her. That said and done, I'm more familiar with the Japanese version of Graces than I am the English, so I do write the characters with more of their...Japanese tendencies. They say each other's names a lot, Richard speaks very formally... _

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I do not own _Tales of Graces_ _f_. All settings and characters are property of Bandai-Namco. No copyright infringement is intended; no profit is being made.

**Secret Fort**

Orange sunlight streamed in through the small slits on the castle's left wall. The setting sun had little natural light left, and thus Richard and Sophie were forced to rely more on the artificial light supplied to them from the torches burning in the sconces on all four walls. This fact was hardly enough to slow the duo, however.

The steady banging of Richard's hammer was broken only by a dull scraping sound as Sophie tugged a large crate into place. Their collaborative effort was finally starting to take shape, Sophie noted as she paused to shove one long pigtail out of her way. She had been excited when Richard had suggested they build a fort together, and a quick glance at the blond revealed a soft smile on his own features. It made her smile, too.

"Richard?"

Her friend looked up, pushing some fine, golden strands out of his eyes. "What is it, Sophie?"

"Do you think Asbel will like it?" She made it clear what was referring to with a long glance out across the array of blankets, crates, and boxes that formed a rough rectangle deep in Barona Castle's basement. Her gaze still averted to the fledgling fort, she heard more than saw Richard set his hammer down and step up behind her.

"I think he will love it. You know he loves it when you show him things that you have accomplished."

"Does this mean we can invite him to come see the fort, too?" she asked, not hiding the excitement from her tone as she glanced back at her friend. Richard responded with a warm smile that she could not help but mimic.

"You may invite whomever you choose, Sophie. This fort shall be your special place."

A gloved hand landed on her shoulder, and Sophie reached up to lay her own over it. "You promise, Richard?"

"I promise, Sophie. I will make certain the guards also know."

The smile that lit up Sophie's place was soon matched by one on Richard's. She understood that the castle was Richard's home, and that this was his was of welcoming her into it. Not so long ago, she had been so afraid their friendship was over, but now…

"Richard? Thank you for showing me how to do this."

"You have nothing to thank me for, Sophie. Honestly, this is enjoyable for me, also."

"It's like…Richard is my big brother."

There was something almost sad to Richard's smile, then, though it disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. "Is that how you think of me, Sophie?"

"Of course, Richard. Asbel is my papa and Cheria is my mama, so Richard is my big brother."

"Well then, I suppose I had best spoil my little sister."

Sophie didn't understand what it was that made her feel as though Richard was faking his smile, and did it really matter? She was probably incorrect, anyway. He certainly seemed eager enough. Maybe she was imagining it.

"Okay, Richard." She nodded firmly. "Can we get back to work?" She was looking forward to finishing.

"That is a good idea. Would you like to help me hang the rest of this blanket?"

Nodding enthusiastically, she picked up the abandoned hammer at a gesture from her friend and walked over to where he was carefully lifting the blanket he had been hanging. The material was heavy, she did not know its name, and a dark shade of blue. It was also _soft_. Running her hands over it, Sophie glanced back and nodded firmly. She was ready.

With some help, she was able to climb onto Richard's shoulders, and he stood so that she was just able to stretch up to the ceiling. From there it took a bit of experimenting on her part, but she soon managed to nail on corner of the blanket to the ceiling. Richard handed her another nail and stepped a few feet to the side, allowing her to stretch up and attach more of the blanket above their heads. They continued this way in silence for several minutes.

As the last nail was slammed into place, Richard stepped back and Sophie hopped down from her perch. Silence descended over the room as they admired their handiwork. The fort was entirely sectioned off from the rest of the room, the heavy blanket forming a wall where the crates and boxes did not reach high enough. It was not an overly large fort, but that was how she had wanted it. There was something…cozy about a smaller space.

"Can we go inside?" she asked eagerly, gazing up at Richard.

"Of course, Sophie. Would you like to bring in the other blankets, also?"

Nodding, she grabbed what was to become her bedding inside the fort, and the two crawled inside—after Richard grabbed and lit the lantern they had also brought.

The single, mirrored lantern supplied sufficient light for the small space, and while Sophie set to work padding the floor with blankets, Richard hammered another nail into the wall to hang the lantern from.

"Never leave the lantern in her, Sophie, and always be careful to keep the blankets away from it. If it gets at all smoky inside, remember to open the sides of the fort, too."

Sophie nodded in response. "Okay."

"Asbel would have a fit if I let you get hurt," the blond said with a soft chuckle. There was a…strange note in his tone, however, one that Sophie realised she was completely unfamiliar with.

"Richard?"

Her friend glanced back, smiling warmly. "Do not worry about it, Sophie."

Blinking, Sophie hesitated a moment before nodding slowly. "Can we get Asbel soon?"

She was not certain, but Sophie thought something in Richard's posture changed. After a moment, the blond turned around fully, before dropping to the soft blankets on the floor. He patted the spot next to her, and Sophie settled into it without further encouragement.

"Before we let anyone else inside, there is something important we must do. Do you know what that something is, Sophie?"

She shook her head, eyes wide with curiosity. "This is my first time building a fort, Richard."

"Well, then I suppose that makes you fortunate that I am here, does it not?"

She nodded once. "What do we need to do?"

"We need to name it."

Her eyes widened. Name it? She had never named something before…what should she call it? Was it like when Asbel had named her? This was important! She spent a moment before an epiphany hit. Looking up, she smiled brightly.

"Sopheria!"

Richard laughed at that. "Fort Sopheria?"

Did a fort's name need to have _Fort_ in front of it? She had not known that. Regardless, she nodded. "Fort Sopheria."

"That is a wonderful name, Sophie. Fort Sopheria it shall be. Now, when a ship is named, the captain usually breaks a bottle over the hull."

"Why do that do that, Richard?" she interrupted, curious.

"It's supposed to be lucky. Now, I don't think we should break a bottle over the fort, but I was thinking we could do something else to christen it."

"What does christen mean?"

"It is…" Richard hesitated, clearly thinking, "it is just a word for formally naming something. I am uncertain if it has any further meaning. But as I was saying, we could do something else to christen it. Is there anything you would like to do? You are this fort's captain, Sophie." Richard smiled softly at her, and Sophie fell silent to think.

What could they do to…to _christen_ this fort? This was supposed to be her special, secret place…

"Let's tell a secret!"

Richard pulled back, blinking. "A…secret?"

Sophie nodded firmly. "A secret! We'll each tell one secret, and it can never leave this fort."

Her friend gazed at her a moment before nodding once. "A secret it is then, Sophie. To be shared with only one another."

"I want Richard to go first!" Truthfully, she had not come up with one to tell, yet. "Remember, your biggest secret."

"Very well, a secret…" he mused aloud, clearly thinking hard. And then Richard stiffened, this time wholly visibly. "You promised not to tell anyone, right Sophie?"

The way Richard was leaning over, whispering into her ear conspiratorially, caused Sophie to clench one fist firmly as she nodded. "Just between us, Richard." A secret between siblings.

"I love Asbel."

Sophie tilted her head to the side, before smiling brightly. "I love Asbel too, Richard." Clenching her hands over her heart, she closed her eyes and gave a short nod. "Asbel and everyone taught me what it was to love. That's why I know. I love Richard. And Cheria and everyone."

Richard's expression was gentle, and his gloved hand landing gently on her head, ruffling the purple strands softly. "That is truly wonderful to hear, Sophie. I am certain Asbel would be pleased to hear it, also. When you see him next, you should tell him that."

"Okay, Richard. You should tell him, too!"

Golden eyes widened and Richard pulled back slightly, his hand falling from her head. That same hand rose a moment later, pressing against his chin in a familiar way.

"I am not certain you understand what I meant, Sophie."

"What do you mean, Richard? Doesn't love mean you care about someone very much?"

"Well, yes, it does."

"And you care very much about Asbel, right?"

"Yes, Sophie, I do."

"So, you love him! It would make him glad to hear that." She smiled brilliantly to accompany her words. It all made sense to her.

"Yes, Sophie, I do. However, there are different kinds of love. You love Asbel as your father, correct?"

"Yes. Oh, I think I understand," she supplied thoughtfully, thinking things over. "I love Asbel as a father, but Cheria loves Asbel in a different way. Like a mama and papa love each other?"

Richard winced noticeably at the inclusion of Cheria in the conversation, but he nodded. "Yes, Sophie, that is exactly right. You love Asbel as a father, and me as a brother, that's familial love, but Cheria…Cheria loves Asbel in a…a romantic way."

"So, what kind of love do you have for Asbel?" Sophie leaned forward, catching Richard's eye. She had never heard him so uncertain before.

"I…I also love Asbel in a romantic way."

Sophie leaned back at that, thinking hard. Richard loved Asbel in the same way Cheria did? She was not entirely certain what that meant, but at the same time, he had _just told her that_. Was she missing something, or…? Her brows furrowed.

"But isn't…romantic love between a girl and a boy? Richard and Asbel are both boys."

"Gender does not matter, Sophie, though others may tell you otherwise. I do not feel that whether one is a boy or a girl should have any effect on how you feel about one another."

Sophie nodded firmly. That made sense to her. Just because she always saw a mama and a papa as a girl and a boy it did not mean they could _only_ be a girl and a boy. "Okay Richard. I think I understand. But…if you love Asbel, and Cheria loves Asbel…what does that mean? Do you love Cheria, too? Will all three of you be my parents?"

Richard's eyes widened. "N-no, Sophie, I…" He took a deep breath. "I do love Cheria, but that…that is a third kind of love, platonic love. It simply means that I care deeply for her, but I do not have the sorts of deep feelings like I do for Asbel."

"Three kinds of love? Why are they different?"

"Familial love is love that you have for your family. Platonic love is for the people you love that aren't in your family. Romantic love…is when you love someone, but the feelings go deeper than that. You always want to be with that person…to spend your life with him or her."

"But I feel that way about Asbel."

"It…I fear it is not that simple, Sophie. Perhaps someday you will understand."

"Okay Richard. I trust you." She frowned. "But if you do not love Cheria like you do Asbel, what's going to happen?"

"Well, even if I did love Cheria that way, it would not matter. People share romantic love with only one other person."

"But then…"

"It is okay, Sophie, I know. Asbel loves Cheria, and Cheria loves Asbel. That is something I understand and support."

"But what will happen to Richard?"

His smile was definitely sad, then. Almost painfully so. "Nothing, Sophie. That is what. Nothing."

"But you love Asbel."

"Yes, I do."

Squirming closer, Sophie rested her head against Richard's shoulder. "It's sad to think that Richard will be left alone."

"Oh, I do not think I will always be alone, Sophie."

"But Richard said that people only share romantic love with one other person. So if Asbel is your _one_."

"Oh, Sophie," a soft chuckle, "that does not mean I cannot have it for more than one person. It is simply a matter of only _sharing_ it with one person. It is possible to have romantic love for another person…someday."

"So, will Richard do that?"

"I hope so, Sophie. I hope so…"

They sat in silence for several long minutes. Tilting her head, Sophie studied Richard's face, observing the sad expression on it. There was clear pain in his eyes, and Sophie did not know how to respond. It took her a moment to realise that his eyes were growing moist, but then a single, wet drop slid down his face. Sophie felt her chest seem to tighten. Her heart _hurt_ for him, but there was little she could say to make this better.

"Richard?"

"I…apologise, Sophie. I will be okay." A gloved hand reached up to wipe his eyes.

"Do you want to know my secret?" A few more tears had escaped, and she wanted to see him smile again.

"I would love to, Sophie." Despite damp cheeks, Richard's smile was still radiant.

She knew that what she was about to say was incorrect, but she wanted to see him laugh. "My secret is that I want Richard to be my mama."

Warm arms wrapped around her in a tight hug as Richard laughed. "Thank you, Sophie. Thank you."

* * *

_Sophie sounds young in the end, I know, but she does that on purpose. She's willfully saying something silly (with a hint of truth), to cheer Richard up. That is all. XD;_


End file.
